SCORES of families let out a cheer when mayor Rex Barnett cut the ribbon and officially opened the new Greenmeadow Children’s Centre.

The Sure Start centre, based at the site of Greenmeadow Primary School, runs services to support parents with children aged up to five who live in Greenmeadow, Haydon Wick and Haydonleigh.

About 30 families turned up to the new building in Pen Close yesterday to enjoy refreshments, play games and watch the ribbon-cutting ceremony in the playground.

Centre co-ordinator, Tracy Hatton, said: “It was a brilliant opening. We had lots of families turn up and also had several new families come in which is what we wanted.

“We wanted local families to come in and have a look at our facilities in quite a relaxed way and I think we achieved that.

“I am really pleased we have got to this stage and I hope that more families will want to join in the fun.”

Sure Start is a Government initiative which aims to give children the best possible start in life through improvement of childcare, early education, health and family support.

Greenmeadow Children’s Centre, operated by Swindon Sure Start Partnership, was constructed between April 2009 and January of this year, opening in March.

The one-storey centre, which has 67 families registered, contains a large multi-purpose room, a family support room, two consulting rooms, and the Little Pippins pre-school.

Among the sessions run at the centre are Stay and Play, which prepares youngsters for school, and Time to Rhyme, which encourages children to sing and play instruments.

There are antenatal question and answer sessions for expectant parents and a Baby and Me group for parents of children aged under one.

Other services include speech therapy classes and NHS child health clinics.

Tracy, whose two-year-old son Jack attends the centre, said: “I think the main thing is to offer families somewhere where they can come together in their local area so they don’t have to travel.

“The centre brings all the services under one roof as a one-stop shop.”

Jo Stillman, 31, of Haydon Wick, who attends sessions with her sons Rhys, three, and Owain, one, added: “It is nice to get out of the house for a start, otherwise you can be in all the time.

“It is nice to have a safe environment where you don’t have to keep your eye on them all the time so it is such a respite.”

The service is free-of-charge but parents are asked to contribute £1 per session to help towards the costs.

For more information, call the centre on 01793 530260